 |
Niki Haris | |
|---|---|
 Haris in 1993 | |
| Born | April 17, 1962 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, dancer |
| Known for | One of Madonna's backing vocalists |
| Musical career | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Niki Haris (born April 17, 1962) is an American singer and dancer of pop, R&B, dance music and jazz. She was one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001, and the guest lead vocalist on various Snap! singles in the early 1990s.
Haris was born Gina Nichole Haire in Benton Harbor, Michigan on April 17, 1962, the daughter of Grammy Award nominated jazz artist Gene Harris. [1] She attended college in Southern California before pursuing a singing career in amusement parks and clubs in the California area.
Haris gave birth to a daughter, Jordan Ann, in 2003.[ citation needed ] The father is Club Nouveau member, producer, songwriter (and Karyn White's manager) Jay King.[ citation needed ]
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(August 2023) |
Haris was a friend and backing vocalist for Madonna and began working with Madonna in her Who's That Girl Tour. She appeared in the movie Truth or Dare, a documentary of backstage and onstage footage recorded during the Blond Ambition Tour. She also acted in the Madonna videos "Vogue" and "Music". Along with fellow singer Donna De Lory, Haris provided backup vocals on many of Madonna’s songs, appeared in numerous recorded and televised Madonna performances, and participated in four of Madonna’s eight concert tours, namely the Who's That Girl Tour (1987), the Blond Ambition Tour (1990), The Girlie Show Tour (1993) and The Drowned World Tour (2001). The Who’s That Girl Tour performance in Turin, Italy was broadcast live and eventually released on home video. One of The Girlie Show performances in Sydney, Australia was filmed for VHS/DVD, and the Drowned World Tour performance in Madonna’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan was broadcast live on HBO prior to VHS/DVD release.
During the Re-Invention Tour in 2004, Haris was replaced with Siedah Garrett. The official word from Haris was that she "would like to focus on her solo career and family." Haris was also absent from Madonna's following Confessions Tour, Sticky & Sweet Tour, MDNA Tour and Rebel Heart Tour.
Her vocal film work is also featured on the soundtracks of Corrina, Corrina , The Big Green , Noises Off , Coyote Ugly , Urban Legends: Bloody Mary and Anastasia . She has also recorded television themes, including co-writing and performing two songs for the Fox series Dark Angel .
Haris toured with her father, until his death, while promoting their albums, Down Home Blues and In His Hands and Jazz Alley Cats.
Haris performed at benefits for AIDS, cancer research and Camp Harmony for inner city children. She is a supporter for the Music in the Classroom program and Rockers Against Drunk Driving and is an annual participant in the Season for Non Violence. Niki has made several television appearances in 2008 & presently in 2009 including: The Democratic National Convention 2008, CNN, Fox Network & Fuse TV.
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(August 2023) |
Haris has collaborated with many artists including, Michelle Branch, All Saints, Whitney Houston, Kylie Minogue, Anita Baker, Ray Charles, Karyn White, Prince, Mick Jagger, Julian Lennon, LeAnn Rimes, Luther Vandross, Jessica Simpson, Pussycat Dolls, Santana, The Righteous Brothers, Rufus, Enrique Iglesias, Marilyn Manson, [2] Madonna, Tom Jones, Snap!, Joe Henry, Michael Bernard Beckwith and Ani DiFranco. Niki appeared on Donna De Lory's 2013 album on a track called 'Kinder'.
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(August 2023) |
Haris choreographed the MTV Awards for Madonna as well as providing some additional choreography on The Girlie Show, and for the television series Melrose Place . She helped stage scenes for Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct .
Haris has performed in lead appearances in Truth or Dare , was featured artist on the HBO special Sandra After Dark, and had a role in the film Heat .
Niki appeared in, and sang backing vocals for Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special.
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Dance | UK | IRE | NED | BEL (FLA) | FRA | GER | AUT | SWI | SWE | NOR | AUS | NZ | ||||
| 1991 | "What's It Gonna Be" (Jellybean feat. Niki Haris) | 90 | 2 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Spillin' the Beans(by Jellybean) | |
| "Do Anything" (Natural Selection feat. Niki Haris) | 2 | — | 69 | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | 10 | 9 | Natural Selection(by Natural Selection) | ||
| 1992 | "Exterminate!" (Snap! feat. Niki Haris) | — | 29 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 50 | 25 | Singles only | |
| 1993 | "Do You See the Light (Looking For)" (Snap! feat. Niki Haris) | — | — | 10 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 40 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 20 | — | — | — | ||
| 2002 | "Do You See the Light" (Snap! vs. Plaything) | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Let Me Hear the Music" (L.E.X. feat. Niki Haris) | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Bad, Bad Boy" (The Perry Twins feat. Niki Haris) | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "This Time Baby" (Eddie X pres. Niki Haris) | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2016 | "Rain" (Donna De Lory & Niki Haris) [3] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||||||
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer Madonna. It supported her fourth studio album Like a Prayer (1989), and the soundtrack album to the 1990 film Dick Tracy, I'm Breathless. The 57-show tour began on April 13, 1990, in Chiba, Japan, and concluded on August 5, 1990, in Nice, France. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first concerts in Sweden and Spain. Originally planned as the Like a Prayer World Tour, it was supposed to be sponsored by soft drink manufacturer Pepsi. However, the company cancelled the contract following the controversy surrounding the music video of "Like a Prayer".
Donna De Lory is an American singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana, Martika, Laura Branigan, Belinda Carlisle, Selena, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Mylène Farmer, Alisha and Madonna. De Lory accompanied Madonna as backing vocalist and dancer on every concert from the Who's That Girl Tour in 1987, up to the Confessions Tour in 2006. Her performance with Madonna at the Live Earth 2007 concert in London was their final professional collaboration to date.
"Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits compilation, Celebration and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans, while Nile Rodgers produced the track. Madonna explained that the concept of the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative.
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light (1998) and Music (2000), respectively. The tour began on June 9, 2001, in Barcelona, Spain and ended in Los Angeles, United States, on September 15. It was her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show in 1993. Set to start in 1999, it was delayed until 2001 as Madonna filmed and starred in the movie The Next Best Thing (2000), began working on Music, gave birth to her son Rocco and married Guy Ritchie.
"Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack album to the 1987 film Who's That Girl. It was released as the album's second single on August 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appeared on the EP The Holiday Collection (1991). Written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray, the song was inspired by her relationship with then-husband Sean Penn, and his abusive and violent nature. Containing a dance-oriented, up-tempo groove, the song begins with the chorus and is accompanied by a four-note descending bassline and staccato chords in the verses.
"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna's compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
"Bye Bye Baby" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna, for her fifth studio album Erotica (1992). It was released on November 15, 1993, as the sixth and final single from the album only outside the US. "Bye Bye Baby" was written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone, and Anthony Shimkin and was produced by Madonna and Pettibone. The song is inspired by Madonna's emotions of that time and her S&M thoughts. Musically, it is a hip hop song, sampling a hook from LL Cool J's track "Jingling Baby", released in 1990. Madonna's vocals were filtered to make them appear as sound coming out from an answering machine. "Bye Bye Baby" features instrumentation from keyboard and lyrically finds Madonna asking questions to a lover she is about to abandon.
The Girlie Show was the fourth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). In October 1992, Madonna simultaneously released Erotica and the coffee table book Sex. The former ended up being Madonna's lowest selling album at the time, while the latter received extensive media attention, and backlash from fans and critics; nonetheless, it was commercially successful. After the critical and commercial failure of the erotic thriller Body of Evidence starring Madonna, the tour was announced in July 1993. The 39-date tour marked the first time the singer visited places such as Turkey, Israel, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil and Australia. According to some critics, it was the singer's way to "revive" her music career following the negative reaction to the thriller. The tour took its name after an Edward Hopper painting titled "Girlie Show". Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, was appointed tour director.
"Express Yourself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). It was released as the second single from the album on May 9, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was included on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009) and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). "Express Yourself" was the first song that Madonna and co-producer Stephen Bray collaborated on for Like a Prayer. Written and produced by them, the song was a tribute to American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. The main inspiration behind the song is female empowerment, urging women never to go for second-best and to urge their partners to express their inner feelings.
"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's second single on November 17, 1992; in the United States, a release was issued on December 8. It was included on Madonna's second greatest hits compilation, GHV2 (2001). A dance-pop and deep house song, it has disco and Philadelphia soul influences; the bridge features instrumentation from flamenco guitars and castanets, and features background vocals from the singer's collaborators Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. Lyrically, the song talks about sexual desire, though it has been argued that it is actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality, and includes a reference to Madonna's single "Vogue" (1990).
"Rain" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album Erotica (1992). The song was released on July 19, 1993, by Maverick Records as the album's fifth single internationally and the fourth single in North America. It was later included on her ballad compilation album Something to Remember (1995). The song was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone. A pop and R&B ballad, "Rain" features a more "friendly" composition than the other singles released from the album. Lyrically, the song likens rain to the empowering effect of love, and as with water's ability to clean and wash away pain. Like the other songs on Erotica, sexual contact is also a possible interpretation of the song.
"Hanky Panky" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless. It was released on June 12, 1990, by Sire Records as the album's second and final single. Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, the song was developed from a line in the parent film, Dick Tracy, talking about a woman who enjoys being spanked by her partner. Performed in a playful, “tongue-in-cheek” style, "Hanky Panky" is a jazz and swing song, keeping with the film's general theme of the 1920s and 1930s, with a changing bassline and minor to major key-shift in the chorus. It caused some controversy in Ireland because of its innuendo and racy lyrics, with women's groups deeming them as harmful; Madonna later clarified that the lyrics were intended as a joke.
The Who's That Girl World Tour was the second concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna. The tour supported her 1986 third studio album True Blue, as well as the 1987 soundtrack Who's That Girl. It was Madonna's first world tour and marked her first visits to Japan and Europe. Musically and technically superior to her previous Virgin Tour, Who's That Girl incorporated multimedia components to make the show more appealing.
Drowned World Tour 2001 is the fifth video album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 13, 2001, by Warner Music Vision, Warner Reprise Video, and Maverick Records to accompany Madonna's second greatest hits album GHV2. The video chronicles a live date from Madonna's Drowned World Tour, which visited Europe and North America, grossing over US$76.8 million in total. It was recorded at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan on August 26, 2001, and was originally broadcast live on HBO as Madonna Live! Drowned World Tour 2001.
"Sooner or Later" is a song recorded by the American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album I'm Breathless. Written by American composer Stephen Sondheim and produced by Madonna and Bill Bottrell, the song was used in the parent film, Dick Tracy. "Sooner or Later" was composed to evoke the theatrical nature and style of the film. A 1930s-style jazz ballad with piano, drum, double bass, and horns, the track conjures up the atmosphere of a smoky nightclub. Madonna sings in her lowest register accompanied by a variable pitch.
Alexandre (Alex-Andre) Magno is a Brazilian born choreographer and director. His dance styles include hip-hop, jazz, ballet, samba, flamenco, tango, salsa, and martial arts. He has performed with Madonna, Yanni, Britney Spears, the Lido La Tourné, Ballet Hispanico, the Ringling Brothers Circus, and the Academy Awards. He also works with his own dance company, “Personna Dance Theatre".
Christopher Ciccone is an American artist, interior decorator, and designer in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He is the younger brother of singer Madonna.
Alfred V. De Lory was an American record producer, arranger, conductor and session musician. He was the producer and arranger of a series of worldwide hits by Glen Campbell in the 1960s, including John Hartford's "Gentle on My Mind", Jimmy Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston". He was also a member of the 1960s Los Angeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, and inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007.
"Impressive Instant" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2000 studio album Music. Originally intended to be the fourth single of the album, the release was cancelled due to a disagreement between Madonna and her recording company. Finally Warner Bros. released it in the United States as a promotional single on September 18, 2001. Written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, the track is bright and uplifting in its content and composition. It was the first song that Madonna and Ahmadzaï worked on and recorded. Ahmadzaï had to work separately on his laptop to generate the sound elements which Madonna wanted in the song, since it was difficult to generate the music in the recording studio. "Impressive Instant" has been described as a club-savvy acid techno, pop-trance, electropop and electro house stomper containing futuristic keyboard lines, with Madonna's vocals being distorted and robotic. Backed by laser noises and synths, the song's lyrics deal with love at first sight, and contains somewhat absurd, nonsensical lyrics.
"Just a Dream" is a song recorded by American singer Donna de Lory for her eponymous debut studio album (1992). It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1993, by MCA Records. The song was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard while composing the former's fourth studio album, Like a Prayer (1989). Since Madonna felt "Just a Dream" would not suit her discography, she gave it to de Lory for recording. After release, the song received mixed review from critics. "Just a Dream" debuted and peaked at number 71 on the UK Singles Chart and reached number ten on the US Dance Club Songs and number 17 on the Dance Singles Sales charts, respectively.
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